Empty without you
by Dyl01
Summary: This carries on from everything else I have written. WarrenXWill slash. Set two years after Getting Away. Dedicated to the awesome and loyal readers I have been lucky enough to get. I own nothing but my slash obsession :P xoxo Dylan
1. Chapter 1

Warren had been in a lot of shady places, but this was by far the worst of them. As he stretched his legs out on a stool in front of the bar, he surveyed his surroundings. The place was a real mess, that was for sure. Cigarette butts covered most of the floor, which was sticky enough to make moving a real effort. In one corner was a pool table that had seen better days, and in the other corner, a large jukebox perpetually playing country music.

The bar was almost half full, but it was the same old crowd Warren had seen in all of the dives he frequented. Lonely old men, drowning their sorrows and hoping to get lucky with one of the many haggard older women that frequented bars like this. He couldn't help laughing at the women's desperation to stay young and desirable, with their big hair, blue eye shadow and animal print skirts.

"If I wasn't gay before..." he muttered to himself after seeing a particularly trashy woman shoot a smile his way. He signaled to the bartender for another beer, shifting the five empty bottles to the side. He had given up wondering when they were going to clear them.

As the bartender took the notes Warren had hastily shoved in his direction, he sighed. This life was getting tiring. He had just come back from Maxville, after seeing Will for the last time. At least, he thought it was going to be the last time, but after seeing Will's face again, he wasn't so sure.

For the past two years, he had been trying to convince himself that leaving had been the right thing to do. Of course he had no doubt that Will was safer without him around, but he did always wonder if Will felt the same sense of emptiness that haunted him constantly. He had hoped that over time it would get better, that maybe he might even meet someone else someday, but he knew now that that would never happen.

There had been others over the past two years, but only to help save him from another empty night. None of them had been anywhere close to Will though. Nobody could ever measure up, so invariably, come the next morning, Warren would leave without a word, knowing he would never see them again.

Without warning, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around slowly, arranging his face to look like he didn't want to be bothered. Before him stood a young lady, one of the few he had seen in a place like this. Like Warren, it was blatantly obvious she didn't belong in a place like this. Her hair was straight and naturally blonde, not like the peroxide perms he saw all around them. She had dressed modestly, in a way that would make her blend into any crowd. But the most interesting thing Warren noticed was the look in her eyes. She wasn't broken yet.

"Hi." He said warmly. He wasn't going to sleep with this girl, that he knew right away. He didn't want to be the guy that hurt her, but he did want a future with her either.

"Hi...are you Tim?" She asked nervously, biting on her lower lip slightly.

"Uh.. No. Warren." He replied, offering her his hand to shake.

"Oh.. I'm sorry, I'm supposed to be meeting someone here..." She said, sitting down next to Warren. "I'm Sophie by the way."

"Nice to meet you Sophie. I don't wanna sound rude but..."

"You're wondering why I don't know who I'm meeting?"

"A little."

"Internet dating...sad I know." She said, blushing slightly.

Warren arched an eyebrow in surprise. This girl wasn't Americas Next Top Model, not even close, but she wasn't the sort of person Warren expected to have to use the Internet to get a date.

"Wanna drink?" He asked, smiling gently. It had been so long since he had even tried to be nice without wanting to get laid, he wondered if he was laying it on a little thick.

"Sure."

"Hey buddy." Warren called to the bartender "Can I get another beer and..."

"Um, I'll have a mojito."

The barman looked slightly surprised for a moment before starting to make the drink. This wasn't the sort of place where mojitos were in high demand.

"So, Internet dating huh?" He began.

"Yeah..."

"Let me give you a little piece of advice. If I guy wants to meet you in a dive like this... you really don't wanna meet him."

"I'll keep that in mind." She said, smiling coyly. "But tell me, if this is such a dive, what are you doing here?"

"You got all night?"

-

"God that's awful!" Sophie said, laying a hand on Warrens arm. He smiled wryly, taking another sip of coffee.

About an hour earlier the bar had closed, so they had moved to a near by diner that was open all night. There, Warren had continued telling his story. Obviously he had left out some details, the super power thing and all, and he had been a little creative with why he had left, but in essence it was the same.

"Yeah pretty much." He replied. "So, I just got back and now... I'm not sure what I'm doing anymore."

"Warren." Sophie said, smiling sympathetically. "You're an idiot."

"Huh?" he replied, stunned by the outburst. All night Sophie had been listening so intently, commenting sweetly when he had described something Will had done or said.

"You don't know what you're doing because you shouldn't be here. You should be back with Will."

"It's more complicated than that..."

"Of course it is, life is pretty complicated in general. The stuff with your families, your father hating him..."

Warren blushed slightly, aware now of the half truth he had told. Warrens father did hate Will, he had just left out the part about Barron Battle tiring to kill them.

"Look." She continued "I know I'm pretty much a stranger to you, but maybe that just means I have a clearer perspective. It's so obvious you still love him and unless you enjoy sitting alone in crappy bars, you need to go back and fix it!"

"But I hurt him too much...it's been too long." He said, dropping his eyes from hers sadly.

"That's bull Warren. You're afraid, and that's ok." She said, squeezing his arm again. "Everyone's afraid. I know you're scared of hurting him again, and that you think you made the right decision, but look at yourself...."

"I...you know you're really pushy. You really remind me of someone I used to know...you're not in Green peace are you?"

"Warren I'm serious, how can something that's hurting you so much be the right thing to do."

"Ok!" he grunted, throwing his hands up in the air "So I screwed up, don't you think I already know that?"

"So what are you gonna do about it?"

Warren frowned. He had imagined going back so many times, but every single time he got in his car, he knew he couldn't. But this time, after seeing Will and after going over it all again with Sophie, he wasn't so sure.

"I don't know... How can I go back? It's been two years..."

"Love waits. It doesn't ever go away, not really."

Warren smiled. He felt his heart beating faster, adrenalin running through his veins before he had even moved. He has always imagined the moment he would decide, but without anyone to push him, it had nver came. As if unable to control himself, he rose from the table.

"I hope you're right Sophie...." he said, walking towards the door.

"Warren wait!" She called, pulling him into a hug. "I hope I see you again Warren. You don't really feel like a stranger anymore."

"You will." He said smiling "But right now, I think I have to go... home."

-

Several hours later Warren pulled his car into the driveway of his home. The house had been empty for the two years he had been away, but he had paid a property manager well to maintain it for him. He had never imagined coming back, but it was his mothers home and he couldn't bring himself to sell it.

As he walked in he smiled slightly. Everything looked exactly the same. Even the air smelt the same as he walked around the house getting his bearings, before walking up to his bedroom and flopping down on the bed, exhausted from the emotional night with Sophie and the long drive back to Maxville.

He had wanted to drive straight over to Wills house, but upon seeing his reflection in the rear view mirror, decided against it in favor of sleep. Warren suspected Will wouldn't just take him back easily, so he needed some time to figure out the best way to talk to him. It would be a shock to the system for both of them, so he hoped to prepare slightly.

As he drifted off to sleep, in the same bed he had shared with Will so many times, he began to feel something he had long since forgotten.

Hope.

-

AN: Damn, I just can't leave these two alone! I have some vague ideas about this, and a whole bunch of scenes in my head, but I don't know exactly what's going on with this one. I can promise there will be lots of updates, my passion for warren and will seems to have ignited once again, but I feel like maybe my writing style has changed a little (Well, you would hope I had gotten better over the course of five years)

Um.. lets see. I think this will probably focus on the characters and their relationships more than the superhero side of it. Also, I have no idea how old Warren and Will actually are, and I'm not sure if I have ever made a point of saying so, but in my head I'm imagining Will as almost 18 and warren as 19ish, so lets go with that.

Does anyone know if I have ever written about that? I have never actually read through the series in one go (I'm too ashamed of my earlier stuff) so I don't know... I guess I really should read it if I'm getting confused :P

I hope you all enjoy this. As much as I love sad endings, it didn't feel right. Although that doesn't mean it'll all work out anyway...


	2. Chapter 2

The morning had arrived far to quickly for Warren, but after having a quick shower and driving to a local diner for some coffee, he felt much more awake. However, after his third cup, he still felt just as apprehensive about being back in Maxville.

All morning he had been fighting the urge to drive right over to Wills house. The fantasy of Will opening the door and falling right into his arms was intoxicating, but he had the sense to know that it wasn't going to be that easy. He sighed, rubbing his temples slowly.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous." He muttered to himself as he slammed down his empty mug and threw some notes on the table, more than enough to pay for his coffees. He strode out of the diner with more confidence than he felt and got into his car.

"Just get a grip Warren!" He growled, talking louder now that he was in the safety of his car, where nobody would think he was insane. "This is going to be rough however you go about it. Might as well man up."

He lit a cigarette and slowly inhaled, before starting the car and taking the familiar route to Will's house. As he drove through the leafy suburban streets of Maxville, his mind wandered over the possible outcomes. Hopefully, Will would at least talk to him. Warren grimaced slightly as he imagined Will slamming the door in his face. Of course he wouldn't blame him at all, but it would hurt all the same.

"It's probably what you deserve." He muttered.

Before he knew it, and long before he was ready, he had pulled up outside Wills home.

"This is it." He said as he stepped out of the car and walked calmly to the front door. Inside his nerves were shot, but he figured he could at least pretend to still be the confident tough guy Will had known.

Taking in one last breath, he knocked on the door three times. After what seemed like an eternity, but was most likely only thirty seconds, the door opened. Standing at the door was the one person Warren wasn't looking forward to dealing with. Standing as tall as Warren, with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes, the boy was easy to recognize as the boy he had seen kissing Will.

"Just like you to go the totally opposite way Stronghold." He thought wryly as he took in more of the figure before him. It was obvious to Warren than he was strong, but from the way he was standing, holding the doorframe and biting his lower lip uneasily, he knew the man was nothing like him. He was clearly meek, timid and didn't look like he enjoyed a fight.

"He probably makes Will feel safer than I ever did." Warren thought.

"Can I help you?" The boy asked, breaking the silence.

Warren smirked. Will hadn't shown him pictures.

"Yeah." He said, surprised at the velvety tone his voice had taken on, part challenging and part intensely sexual. "I'm looking for Will Stronghold?"

"Are you a friend of his?" The boy asked apprehensively.

"Something like that. Who are you?" He said, glaring as he shifted his weight to look more menacing. He was now a step closer, leaning into the doorway.

"I'm Daniel. His boyfriend." He said, annoyance flashing amusingly across his face. "And you are?"

"Not here to see you." Warren shot back, pushing past Daniel and walking into the hallway. Once again he was surprised by his actions and his instant dislike for Daniel. Sure, in theory he was competition, but that was only by Warrens own doing. He hadn't planned on being so aggressive, although he had hoped to avoid meeting the guy altogether.

Suddenly, he felt a hand clasp tightly around his neck and within a second was pinned against the wall, his feet dangling a few inches from the ground.

"Alright tough guy." Daniel said, squeezing Warrens neck a little tighter with each word. "Who. Are. You?"

Warren rolled his eyes dramatically, mocking Daniel. He ignited his hand quickly and grabbed Daniels wrist. Instantly he was on the floor, Daniel having let go in as much surprise as pain as he too fell to the ground. This kid obviously had a lot of strength, but Warren knew he had the advantage, being very open to fighting dirty.

"So you're strong too huh?" Warren asked, gasping for breath as he stood. "Bet daddy loves you."

Daniel looked up at Warren, gasping audibly. Warren smiled as the look of confusion on the boys face turned to fear. Even though they had never met, Warren had no doubt the boy had realized who he was dealing with.

"You're him aren't you?"

"The one and only." Warren said, letting the flames that covered his hand go out.

Suddenly, from upstairs, a very familiar voice caught Warrens attention.

"Dan, what's all the noise?"

Warren smiled broadly. He had never heard such a beautiful sound before now. Instantly his mood had changed and all the aggression and bravado he had felt a moment ago washed away. Within a moment, the sound of Will bounding down the stairs filled the hallway.

"What are you doing down ..." Will began, trailing off as his eyes turned to Warren.

The seconds ticked by in silence as Will stared, mouth hanging open slightly. Finally, Warren could bear it no longer.

"Will..." He began, placing his hand gently on Wills shoulder. "Will are you ok?"

"You're... are you really here?"

"Yeah."

"Oh god." Will said quietly, sitting down on the bottom stair. Daniel began to move towards him, but was stopped with a violent glare from Warren.

"Will... I'm sorry for springing this on you...I couldn't think of any way to make this less of a shock..." Warren said, choking up slightly as the moment really hit him.

"Will... I..."

"Get out of here." Will muttered, so low Warren could hardly hear it.

"Will please..."

"I... I can't... I can't deal with this Warren..." Will whispered, tears steaming down his cheeks "Please just go."

Warren reached out to grasp Wills hand. It felt just like it always had, just like he had never been away.

"Baby... please let me talk to you."

Again, Warren was surprised as another attack from Daniel came from nowhere, the first alert being the throbbing pain in his head as it hit the Wall. He stood up quickly, ready to fight back, when Will, sitting motionless on the stairs caught his attention. He moved towards the door, turning back as he walked through.

"Will. I'm staying in Maxville, one way or the other. When you're ready, come to me."

"That's never gonna happen." Daniel growled, throwing his arm over Wills shoulder protectively.

"Oh an Will?" Warren said slowly. Will looked up, meeting his eyes for the first time "When you come, leave the kid here."

With that, he turned and walked to his car calmly, looking back at the house once. From the doorway, Daniel stood watching Warren with a look that turned from anger to fury as Warren showed him one flaming finger.

-

Minutes later, Warren stopped the car, only a few blocks away from Wills home. He got out and sat on the hood, lighting a cigarette with trembling hands. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks and he tried to inhale without gasping.

His head was spinning. While he was there, he was only reacting to what was happening, but now that he was alone and able to think more clearly, the shock of seeing Will like that set in. He knew Will wasn't as angry as he had sounded and that it was just shock that made him react that way, but it wasn't an easy sight for Warren to see. Once again, he was causing Will more pain, or so it seemed to him.

Warren sighed, pulling himself together slightly. While he wasn't expecting an easy reunion, he hadn't counted on Daniel. If only he had been able to talk to Will alone....

He sighed again as he got back into his car, finally feeling like he was stable enough to drive in a straight line. He headed home quickly, to wait for Will.

-

It was dark when Warren opened his eyes, looking around the room quickly. He knew instinctively that he wasn't alone, but it was too dark to see anything.

"Alright, I'm gonna give you five seconds to show yourself before I start torching things. I've had a really crappy day, so don't think I won't." He called out to the darkness.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his chest, pushing him back onto the bed. Warrens fear left him abruptly. Even in the dark, he knew that touch. Warren lay down slowly, placing his hand over the one on his chest.

"I knew you'd come." He whispered into the darkness, as he felt the body of his former lover press into his side.

"How could I stay away?" Will whispered back.

-

AN: So Warren acts like a bit of a tool, strolling in there like that and being so aggressive, but really, that's Warren. When he left and told Will to come over, I know that comes across as a little arrogant, him just assuming that Will will come, but that's just part of how well they know each other.

Stupid Daniel, being all protective of Will and annoying...

P.S Are they (a) having passionate, crazy make up sex, (b) talking and crying or (c) being all romantic and laying together?

I don't know lol


	3. Chapter 3

Warren smiled broadly. For the last twenty minutes they had been laying together in silence, with Wills head resting on Warrens chest.

"Warren?" Will asked quietly, shifting his head to face Warren.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you here?"

Warren thought for a moment. Obviously he had come back for Will, but he wasn't sure how Will would react to such an obvious declaration. Finally he decided against making up a long list of reasons. He was never the type of guy that plays games.

"I came back for you..." He whispered quietly, emotion choking him slightly.

They lay together in silence for a few more minutes, before Will suddenly sat upright, swinging his body around to face Warren.

"Did it ever occur to you that I might have moved on?" Will demanded, sounding more upset than angry.

"Of course but..." Warren began

"What you thought you're so amazing, I'd thank you?"

"Will no, it's not like that."

"Well then why come back now?" Will said, his voice thick with tears that hadn't yet appeared "Why come back when I'm finally starting to put myself back together?"

Without waiting for an answer, Will leapt from the bed, turning back as he reached the doorway. Warren sat motionless on the bed, shocked by the sudden change in atmosphere.

"Look Warren, I just can't handle this yet."

As Will left the room without another word, Warren lay back down, sighing slightly. A few moments later, the dull thud of his front door closing told him he was now alone. He smirked slightly. Although that hadn't gone exactly to plan, Wills implication that they would meet again made him happy. Yet was such a little word, but it was all Warren needed to feel hopeful.

-

The next morning, Warren wasn't feeling quite as hopeful as the night before. Nothing had changed in his situation with Will within the last six hours, but today, Warren felt hopeless because of what the day had in store for him.

Last night, before Will had come over, Warren had called Principal Powers to set up a meeting. Over the last two years, he had had little concern for his future. Money wasn't an issue and he thought he was alright with living an average life, but now he was beginning to see possibilities again. Suddenly the idea of being a hero didn't seem as ridiculous. However, to do that, he needed to finish Sky High and obtain his heroes license.

He knew it wouldn't be easy. Will and his friends would be in their senior year, and Warren should have already graduated, so he was bound to stand out against his peers. A deep sense of apprehension also filled him when he thought of seeing all the people he thought were in his past. Apprehension aside, this still didn't bother Warren as much as it would some people, he had always been a bit of a loner. After all, he was just going back to learn, not make friends. Seeing Will everyday would just be a lucky coincidence.

Still, standing on the side of the street waiting for a bus to Sky High, he couldn't help but feel a little foolish.

-

"Come on it Warren, please, have a seat." Principal Powers greeted warmly,

Warren was a little take aback. He hadn't expected such a warm welcome given the way he had just disappeared two years ago. He smiled slightly and sat down in the chair offered to him. He quickly looked around the room, noting that nothing much had changed and it remained a fairly plain room.

"So Warren." She continued, sitting behind her desk. "You want to come back to Sky High?"

"That's right." He replied, doing his best to match her smile.

"Why?"

Warren took a moment to think, wanting to get this right.

"Well... I guess you know I went of the rails a little bit back there..." He began

"You could say that." She agreed.

"Ok, so it's more like I couldn't even see the rails anymore." He offered, smiling genuinely for the first time, if not a little ruefully. "But now... I don't know, I guess I've lived a normal life now and it worked for a while, but... I just want more."

"Can you explain a little more?"

"I just know that being a hero is what I'm meant to do. It's what I want to do... and ... I just want get my life back. Being back in Maxville has made me realize how much I have lost. I just wanna be Warren again."

Principal Powers smiled again, looking at Warrens face very closely, as if searching for anything that betrayed his words. After what seemed like a very long moment, she reached into one of the drawers in her desk and pulled out a very thick envelope. She pushed it across to Warren.

"It sounds like you're really ready to make a fresh start. Obviously you will need to catch up on a lot of work, even though you were one of the best students when you were here, as much as I'm sure you would believe otherwise." She said, noting the slight blush that appeared in Warrens cheeks.

"Thank you."

"You'll be joining the senior class, all the information you need will be in there." She said, gesturing to the envelope in Warrens hands. "You can start next Monday."

"Thank you so much Principal Powers. I promise... I won't waste this opportunity. I really want this."

"I hope you're right about that Warren."

Warren stood, moving towards the door.

"Oh and Warren?" Principal Powers called.

"Yeah?"

"Would I be crazy for assuming Will Stronghold has something to do with this?"

"You wouldn't be crazy..."he began

"But?"

"I don't know what's gonna happen with us. I think he's happy now."

"He is....but not _as_ happy."

Without another word, she turned to read some papers on her desk. Warren let himself out, thinking over her words again. Not as happy.

-

As he walked towards the exit doors of Sky Highs main hallway, he smiled in spite of the stares he was drawing from everyone around him. The faces he recognized looked shocked and the ones he didn't looked afraid. From the corner of his eye, he saw the only face he was looking for.

He turned to face Will from across the hall, giving him a smirk and raising his eyebrows suggestively. Will blushed deeply and Warren knew he had pulled a bit of a dirty move, but he also knew he wasn't going to get anywhere by being subtle. He turned away again and continued to walk towards the doors.

As he walked through the main doors and outside towards the library, a familiar voice called his name. He rolled his eyes before turning around.

"Warren, I need to talk to you."

"Of course you do Layla."

-

AN: Hey, sorry for the slow updatyness, I've been sick and then I was pretending to be sick to avoid going to work lol.

Hmm, I really wanted Will and Warren to just start going at it, but you know... where's the fun in that?

And don't worry, I don't see Daniel as the crazy jealous lover type, but he loves Will a lot, so it's not gonna be fun and cookies.

xoxo


	4. Chapter 4

"Ok Layla, lets go." Warren said, shaking his head. "You wanna talk about m welcome home party huh?"

"Not quite." She replied sourly. She met Warrens gaze for a moment before looking away, focusing on the people around them. "That would kind of imply that you're welcome."

"Whoa!" Warren chuckled, throwing his hands up in mock defense. "When did you grow a spine flower power?"

"About the same time you decided to screw Will over."

Warren hadn't expected to be welcomed back with open arms, but he defiantly wasn't prepared to deal with Laylas attitude right now. Around them students were mingling, glancing over, waiting for some kind of action before classes began. Layla looked around again, before motioning for Warren to follow her.

They walked quickly in silence to behind one of the buildings. Warren smiled fondly, remembering all of the times he spent hiding out here instead of sitting through another boring class..

"Ok, so what do you want? To chew me out? Cuz I gotta say, I'm not interested." Warren demanded, reaching into his jacket pocket for a cigarette.

"Why are you here?"

"Obviously I'm here trying to get a quality education."

"You know that's not what I mean."

Warren sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Is it really any of your business Layla?"

"Yeah, it's my business. You're not the one who had to help Will get his life started again, to watch him suffer for months while he was looking for you! You have no idea how much you hurt him. You make me sick." She spat. The venom in her words shocked Warren. He hadn't expected anyone to be this direct with him.

"Layla... I know..."

"No!" she interrupted, looking angrier than Warren had ever seen her. "You have no fucking clue how bad it was."

Warren stood silent, too shocked by Layla swearing to react at all.

"Warren, he couldn't sleep, couldn't even eat. He was a total mess, completely withdrawing from the world. He's only just starting to pick himself back up again."

She sighed, her anger fading slightly into weary disappointment.

"The best thing you can do now is leave Warren." She did and turned away. As she was leaving, Warren called out to her to wait.

"What?" She said, turning around slowly.

"I'm not leaving again, that's never gonna happen. I'm back for good and I'm back for Will."

"I'm not happy about it."

"You don't have to be, you just have to stay out of my way."

Warren threw his cigarette to the ground and stomped away.

-

After convincing one of the bus drivers to fly him back down to the city below, Warren sat outside his home, absent mindedly burning an intricate pattern on the deck. He smiled as he remembered how easy it was to intimidate the bus driver into flying him home. It was good to know he was still frightening to some people.

Warren sighed gruffly, running his hand through his hair. It was good to get away from all of the questioning stares he had gotten at school, that he would no doubt have to get used to, but being at home was when the problems really started.

Warren didn't have any friends, not anymore anyway, and without having to work, he had a lot of time to fill. He hadn't always felt the need to fill his life with friends, certainly not within the last two years, where he had lived in near solitude, but until recently, he had never realized just how much they meant to him.

With three full says until he started back at school, he was finally starting to understand how lonely he was. He had already tried to distract himself by cleaning his entire house from top to bottom and it was still only two in the afternoon.

He thought about going to Wills house to wait for him to get home, but even Warren himself knew that doing so wouldn't be the best idea right now. He wasn't quite ready to go into full stalker mode just yet.

Still, he decided, it couldn't hurt to just drive past.

-

An hour later, and after several trips past Wills house, Warren gave into temptation and parked across the street. He had only been sitting there for a few minutes when a gentle tapping on the passenger side window snapped his thoughts back to reality. Warren turned slowly to the window, mentally cursing whoever had interrupted his concentration, right in the middle of his favorite reconciliation fantasy.

The person standing patiently next to his car was not who he was expecting to see. He got out of the car and slowly walked over to the passenger side, ready to accept whatever angry rant was coming his way.

"It's good to see you again Mrs. Stronghold." Warren mumbled uneasily, extending his hand to her.. Surprisingly for Warren, Josie pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you Warren!" She exclaimed as she released him. For such a small woman, she was unusually strong.

Warren took a slight step backwards, stunned. He had been expecting a similar reception to the kind Layla had given to him. The last people Warren had expected to be glad of his return were either of Wills parents.

"Oh Warren, don't look so terrified!" she said, still smiling. "Hey, nobodies home and I really wanted a chance to talk to you, why don't you come in?"

"Um, alright." He agreed uncertainly. He locked the car and followed Josie across the street and into the Strongholds home. They walked straight into the kitchen and sat at the counter. Warren was surprised with how at home he felt after all this time. The family had often gathered in the kitchen to talk while Josie prepared the evening meal, back when Warren was still considered part of the family.

"So you're really back then?" She asked, arching an eyebrow slightly, conveying the real meaning behind her words.

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere again." He assured her.

"I suppose you were expecting a fight when you saw me?"

"Yeah." Warren admitted, chuckling slightly. "You're definitely the first person that's been happy to see me."

"Well, I've been waiting for you to come back for a while now. I knew you wouldn't stay away forever."

"But aren't you angry at me?" He asked, barely able to look her in the eye as the words tumbled out.

"I was at first, I have to admit. But you became like a second child to me Warren. I couldn't stay mad at you."

Warren smiled a little. He had always liked Josie a lot, she was one of the most genuinely kind people he had ever met.

"So, you're going back to school?" she asked.

"Yeah. I figure it's about time for me to get something right... finish what I started, you know?"

Josie nodded before reaching over and taking placing a hand on Warrens shoulder.

"And would I be right in guessing that's not the real reason you came back to Maxville?"

"You wouldn't be wrong." He replied coyly, uncertain of home much to give away. Josie had accepted the relationship he had with Will easily, so there was nothing to say she didn't feel the same way about the relationship Will now shared with Daniel.

"I see." she said, pausing for a moment before she burst into laughter.

"Well I know it's a long shot but..."

"No no Warren!" She interrupted, gasping for breath as her laughter faded "I was just laughing at the way things seem to turn out. Who needs soap operas?"

Warren smiled warmly, relief flooding his body.

"You know Will is with someone else now don't you?"

"Yeah...but..."

"You're hoping Will will choose you?"

"Kind of. I tried living without him, but it really didn't work. I was stupid to think my life could be anything without him. I know it's not very likely, but I really have nothing left to lose, so I'm going to give it my best shot."

"Any ideas?"

"Not yet. I was kind of hoping my good looks would get me what I wanted but..." he joked, underplaying the real concern he felt. "Do you... I mean, would you object?"

"No." She answered immediately. "Steve might, but he would come around. I do like Daniel, really. But as much as I try, I don't see him in Wills future. I know it's not really my place to tell you this, but if I leave it to the two of you, who knows what could go wrong."

Warren laughed again. It felt so easy to be around Josie. This was probably the longest conversation he had had with anyone since he left.

"Warren... I really think you two belong together. You've really messed things up, but I know you already know that."

Warren nodded, looking down at the counter top.

"But, I also know that when true, real love is involved, you can fix anything."

Warren looked up at Josie, ready to thank her, when the clock behind her caught his attention. They had been sitting talking for longer than he had thought. It wouldn't be long until Will would be home. Josie followed his gaze and frowned slightly at the time.

"I'd better get going. I need to figure out my plan before Will sees me again." He said as he stood. "Thank you Mrs. Stronghold."

"Of course Warren. I'm a mother, meddling is what I do."

"I hope I'll be seeing you again soon."

-

Warren laughed. He has been home for only a few minutes and was only just getting over the shock of the conversation he had had with Wills mother. More than ever, he felt like coming home was the right thing to do, and he knew that he would stop at nothing to get Will back.

As he poured himself a glass of water, a plan began to form in his mind. All he really had to do was remind Will of what they had together before, and assure him that this time it was forever. He knew that Daniel wouldn't be to hard to deal with in comparison to gaining Wills trust and he was fully prepared to be as aggressive as he needed to get Daniel out of the picture.

-

AN: Hey, had a little break, but I'm back now. Totally not going to let my "little breaks" go for as long as they used to, I promise.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five;

Warren sighed, closing his locker. He had been back at Sky High for a little over a month and still nothing had changed. He still sat alone in class and at lunch, making eye contact with Will whenever possible, but mostly keeping to himself. Things with Will weren't exactly progressing as quickly as he would have liked either.

Oh, he had tried of course, but every time he went to speak to Will, he somehow lost his nerve. Warren wasn't used to feeling so helpless, and it wasn't something he enjoyed at all.

He turned and walked into the bathroom stopping suddenly when he saw someone was already inside, washing his hands at the basin. Warren trudged over to the basins, scowling sullenly as he turned the water on and peered in the mirror.

"Daniel" he muttered

"Warren."

Warren smirked, enjoying the feeling of hostility that was radiating from the other boys body. Daniel tried to act tough, but Warren could sense how fearful he really was.

"So Danny, tell me something." he began

"What?" Daniel asked, spitting the word out to sound more like an accusation than a question

"When Will comes back to me, will you cry? Or have you seen it coming for so long that it's not gonna be much of a shock."

Daniel growled quietly, grabbing Warren by the front of his jacket and shoving him against the wall.

"Will would never go back to you." he snarled "He hates you!"

Warren ignited his hands, suddenly running a flaming finger across Daniels neck. It wouldn't injure him much, but it did cause Daniel to let go of him.

Warren laughed and walked towards the door. It had been a long time since he had been so cruel to somebody he hated and he had enjoyed in thoroughly.

"Dan?" he called. "Will is going to come back to me. He's mine."

-

Will frowned while staring intently at the carrot sticks he had been shuffling around his plate. Across the table from him, Layla and Magenta sat, talking animatedly while eating their lunch. They both seemed happy. Beside him sat Daniel, who Will noticed was much quieter than usual.

Will let out a slow breath. He knew he should play his part as the dutiful boyfriend and ask Daniel what was wrong, but if he was honest with himself, he didn't really care. Ever since Warren had returned to Maxville, things had been tense with Daniel.

Daniel was already a possessive boyfriend and with Warren back, Will found himself having to account for every minute he spent away from his boyfriends gaze. Two months ago, he would have enjoyed Daniels possessiveness. It would have made him feel special. But not anymore.

Now it made him feel trapped and frustrated. It had been so hard for him to survive without Warren, and seeing him again had stirred up so many emotions. The confusing was overwhelming and he didn't have anyone to talk to about it. His friends had made it more than clear that they hated Warren and didn't want Will to have any contact with him, and Daniel had made it just as clear that Will wasn't allowed to mention him at all, to think about him even.

Nobody seemed to care what Will wanted.

He sighed, looking up from his plate for the first time since he sat down. Around him everyone was smiling and talking. He envied them. They didn't feel things as deeply as he did, they didn't have to deal with the things that affected him. He was amazed by how much older he felt when he looked at his schoolmates.

One person caught his eye immediately. The only person in the room that understood him completely, inside and out. The only one who knew what it was like to lose everything.

Warren.

He smiled tentatively across the room to his former lover, unsure of what he was doing. He hadn't spoken to Warren since their last emotional confrontation, but suddenly all he wanted to do was go and sit next to him, slipping his hand into Warrens and leaning his head against Warrens chest. They would talk like they used to and be complete again. It would be so easy to slip back into those habits.

Warren smiled back, quirking an eyebrow in that sexy way that got Wills heart beating faster every time. Will felt his face flush red and smiled to Warren again. Suddenly Wills thoughts were interrupted.

"Will! Hello?" Daniel said loudly, smiling slightly, but also looking concerned. "You ok babe? You've been totally spaced out."

"Oh.. Yeah. Yeah I'm fine I guess." He said, trying to control the rapid thumping of his heart. He wasn't sure if it was beating so hard from Warrens look or from the fact that he was almost caught out by his boyfriend.

"Well as look as I'm not boring you?" Daniel replied, rolling his eyes.

Will shrugged.

"Will!" Daniel exclaimed again. "Could you at least try to engage here?"

"Sorry… jeeze… look I need the bathroom ok?" Will said, standing quickly and walking towards the doors, ignoring Daniels protests behind him.

As he walked past Warren he slowed, holding his fingers to his mouth as if taking a drag on a cigarette. He smiled broadly as Warren nodded, clearly understanding the message, before walking briskly out of the doors.

-

AN: hey sorry for the long wait, my computer died. Well, more accurately, the screen of my laptop fell off. All the way off. It was shocking. But I got this cute little netbook and I'm loving it, will be updating more.

p.s Guess who's going to college next year! Ha ha and the ripe old age of 21.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

"Hey." Warren said, trying his hardest to appear to be casual, despite the frantic beating of his heart. He smiled before sitting on the grass next to Will.

"Hey Warren."

Warren smiled broadly. Today had started off as yet another boring day in Maxville and now by lunchtime, he was sitting behind one of the schools older buildings with the one person he wanted to spend any amount of time with.

"So… did you wanna talk, or were you just dying for a smoke too?" He asked, noticing Wills hesitant smile. Waves of nervousness rolled off of Will.

"Both actually."

Warren raised an eyebrow, more than a little surprised.

"You smoke now?"

"Yeah… it's kind of a secret though." Will said as he took a cigarette from the packet in his backpack and allowed Warren to light it with his finger.

"I know I'm not really the best person to be giving this lecture, since, you know, I could be the mascot for the super smokers team, but why did you start?"

"Stress I guess…" He began, before blushing and staring at his feet,

"And…" Warren probed.

"I missed the smell….I hated it when we were together, but you know….I missed it when you left."

Warren sighed. The look on Wills face was breaking his heart. Warren knew that he had really fucked up by leaving. It wasn't the right thing for either of them and the guilt he felt for making Will suffer was unbearable.

"Will… I'm sorry I left, especially the way I did."

"I know Warren."

"I just… things got so twisted in my head. I just didn't wanna hurt you anymore."

"I know that too. I hated it… I hated you for a while, but… I do understand."

"I'm so sorry."

"I know… look Warren… I don't know how this is going to work… I guess I don't know anything really, but I…"

"What?" Warren asked gently

"I want you in my life." Will said quietly, still not daring to look into Warrens eyes for fear of losing his nerve completely. "It might never be like before, but I don't think I can see you everyday and not have anything to do with you."

Warren grinned, brushing his hand across Wills arm lightly.

"It might not be easy."

"What is?" Warren asked, laughing slightly. The tension had lifted somewhat and for the first time since his return, things felt normal again. "I'll take what I can get Will. I know I have no right to ask you to forgive me, so I'm happy with whatever you have to give."

Will smiled back at Warren, taking his hand nervously. He wasn't sure why he did, but it felt right somehow.

"So Warren, tell me about what you've been up to. Where did you go? What did you do?"

"It's not much of a story." Warren warned, relishing the feeling of having Will hold his hand and silently praying for him to not let go.

"I don't mind."

-

Will smiled as he walked to wards the bus, taking one last look at Warren, who was walking a few feet behind him. They had talked behind the buildings for the rest of the afternoon and although Will knew he would be in trouble for it tomorrow and would have to answer a lot of questions from Daniel, it had been worth it.

He sat quietly at the front of the bus, nodding very slightly as Warren walked past to sit in the back. This afternoon had been one of the best days he had had for as long as he could remember.

"Hey babe, where did you get to?" Daniel said as he slid into the seat next to Will, taking his hand quickly. Will flinched away slightly. Warren had been holding his hand all afternoon.

"Oh.. Hey.. I was just… you know." Will stammered "I just wasn't feeling well."

Daniel pulled Will closer.

"Aww, want me to come home with you? I can make soup?"

"Nah Dan, it's fine. Anyway… don't you have work?"

Daniel smiled.

"I can skip one day to look after my boy."

"Nah really… I'm feeling better now, I just need a good nights sleep or something."

"Ok, if you're sure?"

"Yeah…"

The rest of the ride passed in silence. Will knew he had offended Daniel by rejecting him like that, but he was finding it difficult to care. Daniel had been a good boyfriend to him, helping him get over Warren and move on with his life. Even though Will knew this, he couldn't help feeling like it didn't matter anymore. Part of him wanted to stay with Daniel and forget about Warren all over again, but another part of him wanted the opposite. Being with Warren today had changed everything.

As he stepped off the bus, he looked back. In both the front and back of the bus sat the two men he loved, smiling back at him, each vying for his love and attention. He knew he had to pick.

"I just don't want to hurt anyone." he muttered.

-

AN: Ugh, I feel so bad for Will. And Warren, Not so much for Daniel, which is sad I guess.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

"So Daniel, are you staying over tonight?" Josie asked as she cleared away the dinner plates. Steve grimaced slightly, but it was still a lot less of a reaction than he would have given had Warren been the subject of the question.

Over the last two years, he had become a lot more accepting of Wills sexuality, but he still wasn't completely comfortable with it.

"Yeah I guess, if its ok?"

"Actually." Will interjected "I'm feeling kinda tired tonight, I was hoping to make it an early one."

"Oh." Daniel said, disappointment clouding his features briefly. "But it's Friday night."

Will rolled his eyes slightly.

"I guess I'm just boring." Will replied.

"Well I guess I should get going then." Daniel said gruffly, standing up. "Thank you for dinner Mr. and Mrs. Stronghold, See ya later Will, if you can fit me in."

Without waiting for a reply, he stalked out of the room. A loud thud followed from the door a moment later.

"So…" Said Josie, sitting back at the table. "Do you wanna tell us what's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you two barely spoke all evening, Daniel hasn't stayed over in a while…Are you two ok?" Josie asked, reaching out to hold Wills hand.

"Nothing… I don't know."

"Will." Steve said, drawing out his words slowly. "Did you have a fight or something? Your mother's right, things did seem a little… tense tonight."

"Really it's nothing…" Will said, exhaling loudly as he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm gonna go to my room."

"Ok." His mother said.

Will stood up quickly and ran up to his room, taking the stairs two at a time. The moment he closed his bedroom door behind him, he felt his eyes well up with tears. The past week had been such a strain and he was finding it hard to cope.

Warren had changed everything and he wasn't sure if it was for the better or not.

-

"So what did you think?" Warren asked, smiling down at Will.

"Ugh.. It was.. Terrible. Really bad." Will replied, trying hard to keep a straight face.

Warren laughed, shaking his head and pulling Will into his chest.

"So action movies aren't for us then."

"Guess not."

The two boys stayed quiet for a moment, with Wills head resting on Warrens chest. They had spent the entire day at Warrens house, watching movies and talking. Warren smiled, kissing the top of Wills head lightly. It had been an interesting day and Warren was feeling more and more comfortable around Will.

"So, it's pretty late." Will said.

"Yeah…" Warren muttered throatily, smiling at the way Will blushed at the tone.

"Warren… what's going on with us?"

"We're watching movies and cuddling."

"Yeah.." Will said, rolling his eyes "We're cuddling."

Warren sat up, looking Will directly in the eyes. He placed a hand on Will's cheek, stroking it softly.

"Will.. I'm just gonna lay it on the line. I want you back. I wanna be with you like this everyday. I wanna spend all my time with you, kiss you… make love to you."

Will blushed deeply, dropping Warrens gaze.

"I know it's a messy situation, but I know you still love me Will. I still love you."

Will looked up again, smiling slightly. He had so many questions and worries running through his head, but only one thought made itself heard.

Suddenly, with as much force as he thought Warrens body could take, Will pushed him backwards on the couch, straddling his chest.

"You're right. I do." he whispered, before leaning down and kissing Warren roughly.

-

Warrens eyes flicked open quickly. From the bedroom floor came a loud ringing.

"Will…" He said, nudging the sleeping boy next to him.

"Hmmm?"

"Your phone's ringing."

"Forget it." Will mumbled, rolling over and nuzzling into Warrens chest.

-

"_This is Will, I'm probably sleeping. Leave a message after the beep_!"

"Hey Will, It's Dan. Just calling to check up on you. I know you haven't been feeling well, if you need anything, call me. I miss you baby. Anyway… get well, can't wait to see you. I love you baby, so much."

-

AN: Hey, sorry about the lack of updates, been super super busy/


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

"Morning baby." Warren said, nuzzling into Wills neck. He pulled him closer, breathing in his scent and smiling broadly. "How you feelin?"

"Warren." Will said, sounding slightly confused as he woke up properly, surveying the scene in front of him before remembering the events of the night before. "Wow. So we slept together huh?"

Warren grinned even more. He had been waiting for this for so long and how, having Will in his bed, it felt even better than he remembered.

"Yeah. God I missed this."

"M..me too." Will said, blushing slightly. He lay his head on Warrens chest, concentrating on the sound of his heartbeat to drown out the nagging voice in his head that told him to go home.

"Hey, look at me." Warren said softly as he stroked Wills hair gently. He looked into Wills eyes, still smiling. "I love you so much. I know you're probably really confused… but this is a good thing. Right?"

Will hesitated. In his heart, he knew Warren was right. It really was a good thing. Being I\with him like this felt so natural and easy. It never felt that way with Daniel.

"I love you too Warren." He said slowly, rubbing his hand across Warrens stomach. "I never stopped, you know that. But this… I don't know. I don't know what to do."

"About Daniel?"

"Yeah about Daniel… and everyone else. My family, my friends… I never let myself believe you were coming back, let alone that this would happen… my heads kinda spinning you know?"

"I understand. I'm not gonna pressure you Will. I know I don't even deserve to have you talk to me after what I did. But, you know I want you back. I want to wake up with you in my arms every morning. I know you have to figure this out for yourself, but I… I don't care about the others. Just you. So…I'm not gonna stop fighting for you."

"Could anyone ever stop you Warren?" Will asked, chuckling slightly.

"Probably not." Warren admitted. "Except you."

With that, Warren grinned once more, suddenly flipping Will onto his back and pinning his hands to the bed above his head. They both knew Will could end this whenever he wanted, but they also both knew that he wouldn't.

"But hey." Warren growled throatily into Wills ear. "Since I have you here right now… might as well take advantage of you!"

Although Will knew he should go home, he could do nothing more than shiver as Warren traced his tongue slowly across his jaw and down his neck, showing no signs of stopping there.

-

"_I love you baby. So much_."

The words kept repeating themselves in Wills head. Ever since he had left Warrens house and checked his messages, a feeling of guilt had hung over him. He knew he had messed up badly.

Will let out a long sigh and flopped backwards onto his bed. Warren was everything he ever wanted. But Daniel had been so good to him, he had fixed what Warren had left broken. How could he choose?

-

AN: just a little update today. Will knows he is being an ass lol. It's just hard for him to figure out what he wants. I don't think he is deliberately being selfish this way. Sometimes in life you don't think about other people and just give in to the pleasure of what you want.

It sucks, and it backfires, every time.

Thanks for all the reviews. I hope to read lots of slashy fiction by all of you guys soon. Warren and Will need some more stories out there!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

Warren smiled as he walked down one of the main streets of Maxville. Usually, walking around shopping, with all of these happy families around him would piss him off, but not today. He laughed to himself quietly as he remembered why he was feeling so good.

After the last two years of waiting to feel better, trying to pick his life up from the ground, he was so grateful to be feeling good. Of course it was because of Will.

"Warren!" He heard a voice yell from behind him. He turned around slowly, not wanting to talk to yet another person who would tell him to stay away from Will. To his surprise, Majenta stood behind him.

"Hey Johnny Storm." Majenta said, ignoring the way Warren rolled his eyes at her joke.

"Hey yourself."

"So we haven't really had a chance to talk since you got back." She said as they began walking slowly down the street.

"I thought you weren't allowed?"

Majenta laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, Layla's got this whole plan to blackball you, so I guess right now I'm breaking some rule or other."

"Are you sure you wanna risk it?" He asked, smiling wryly

"I think I can take the chance. So, what ya up to?"

"Clothes shopping." Warren replied, letting out a slow sigh. "I've been kinda out of it for the last two years, so all of my clothes are a little worn out."

"I can't believe it's really been two years since you left."

"Me neither. It felt like a hell of a lot longer."

The pair sat down on a bench, ironically covered with a billboard for Stronghold Realty. A few moments passed in silence as they collected their thoughts. Warren rubbed his hands together, surprised by how nervous he felt. After so much solitude, it was still a little hard to talk to people. He was also bracing himself for Majenta to start yelling.

He wouldn't blame her of course, but it would hurt. Aside from Will, Warren had been closest to Majenta. They both seemed to share a slightly darker view of the world that their other friends didn't get and Warren loved her sense of irony and perfect use of sarcasm. Having her yell at him would hurt a lot, but he knew it was something he would have to take.

"So…" Warren began before trailing off.

"I missed you Warren. Apart from Wills meltdown, life around here has been way too Brady Bunch"

Warren winced slightly at her reference to Will. As happy as he felt about his progress with Will, the fact that he had hurt him so badly weighed on his mind heavily. He knew it was something he was always going to feel guilty about and he would do whatever it took to atone.

"So, Will was that bad huh?" Warren asked slowly, not really wanting an answer. "Layla said, but…"

"It was pretty bad for a while, yeah."

"I guess you're gonna tell me I should leave him alone?"

"God no!" Majenta exclaimed, slapping Warren on the arm slightly. "Look, you were a total douche for leaving, and yeah, people pretty much hate your guts, but Will doesn't."

"Still…."

"No, really. As much as they might hate to admit it, everyone knows you and Will belong together. Besides, Daniel is a tool and I really need some drama."

"Well, I'm glad I can entertain you." He said, smiling.

"So have you made any progress?"

Warren immediately blushed deeply as vivid images from the night before flashed before his eyes, which did not go unobserved by Majenta.

"You little slut!" She yelled, ignoring the shocked look directed to her from an elderly woman who was passing by. "That's so awesome, so are you two together?"

"No… not yet anyway. Things are still messed up."

"But do you think it'll work out?"

"Could go either way…"

"Well Warren, I want you to know I'm fully prepared to take Daniel out if it could help."

"I might take you up on that, but for now, I'll just rely on my charm and good looks." He said, laughing slightly.

-

"Mmm, it's so good to see you, feels like it's been forever baby." Daniel said as he pulled Will into his embrace. "I've missed you."

Will winced slightly, pulling away from Daniel. He knew what he had to do, there was no way around it, but he really wasn't looking forward to it. Daniel had been so good to him, and Will knew he deserved better than the way he treated him.

"Dan… we gotta talk." He mumbled, unable to meet his eye.

"What's up?" Daniel asked, casually sitting down on Wills bed, still smiling broadly.

Will took a deep breath, trying to summon every ounce of courage he had. He had never had to do this before. With Layla, the situation had been so different.

"I…We…I think we…" He stammered

"Will, what is it babe?" Daniel asked, his smile dropping for the first time as a look of genuine confusion slowly appeared.

"I can't be with you anymore. I'm sorry." Will said quietly.

The air hung thick with silence for a few moments. Will grimaced as he watched the myriad of emotions wash over Daniels face. Finally he stood up and faced Will. His eyes were full of tears and his face was colored a deep red.

"I don't understand." He muttered.

"I'm sorry Dan… it just isn't working. I can't give you what you want… what you deserve."

"It's because of him isn't it?" Daniel accused

"No. Not really. Everything is just so messed up right now."

"Oh come on Will." He yelled as he started to pace the room. "What else could it be?"

"Dan…"

"No, we were happy before he came back. It took so long, but you were finally happy… and now, what? He's come back and suddenly I'm worth nothing to you?"

"It's not like that…"

"That's exactly what it's like. Have you completely forgotten what he did to you… you were such a fucking mess when we met…how could you even think of going back to that?"

"I'm not with him. I just.. I don't know what I want."

"God… I can't believe you're gonna be so stupid. He's just some guy that used you up and threw you out when he was done. We have something special!"

"Look, I know you're upset." Will said, drawing out the words as he fought back tears. "But you don't know what we had. I can't just stay with you when I know it's not right. That's not fair on anyone."

Daniel headed towards the door, unable to listen to anymore. As he walked through, he turned to look at Will one last time.

"I don't see how any of this is fair Will." He said, before slamming the door.

Will sat on the edge of his bed, tears flowing freely now. He didn't want to hurt Daniel, but he knew it was what was best.

"What the hell am I doing?" He muttered to himself.

-

Warren slammed his locker door shut, ignoring the questioning looks from the people around him. As he stomped his way to his first class of the day, he nervously scanned the crowd for a glimpse of Will. He hadn't seen him on the bus that morning.

He quickly made his way to the mad science lab and took his usual seat at the back, dropping his books down with a thud. Slowly, the classroom filled, until all of the seats but one had been taken. Across the room from him sat Daniel and Layla, who seemed to be taking turns glaring at him.

"Great." he thought "It's gonna be one of those days."

Warren raised his hand slowly, half amazed that he was doing to for what must have been the first time, and half embarrassed about what he was about to do.

"Yes Mr. Peace?" Dr. Medulla asked, barely suppressing his surprise.

"Do you know where Will is today?"

"Why do you care?" Layla shot from across the room. She opened her mouth to say more, but was silence by the glare Dr. Medulla gave her.

"Well, I assume he is sick. Unfortunately for you Mr. Peace, I am not one of the many people that seem to be hyper aware of the comings and goings of Mr. Stronghold."

Warren clenched his fist, resisting the urge to get angry. He would just have to find Will later.

-

Will laughed as he locked his car and began to walk towards the dinner. That morning he had woken up feeling just as confused as the night before and couldn't face going to school, but he quickly found out there wasn't much to distract him at home.

He had been driving for what seemed like hours and had stopped at a small diner to grab some coffee. It wasn't totally an accident that he had arrived here. He had driven to the city Warren had lived in for the past two years.

Will smiled. Even when he was trying to escape the situation, Warren seemed to influence him still.

He walked inside and sat at the counter, relieved to see that most of the people around him were smoking. He motioned to the waitress for coffee as he lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply. Smoking had become such a comfort to him while Warren had been away, and as guilty as he felt about it, he kind of reveled in having one tiny secret from everyone in his life.

He sighed and looked down at the counter, the feeling of freedom he had gotten from getting away from Maxville was abruptly fading as images of Warren crossed his mind.

Breaking up with Daniel had been the right thing to do, but he wasn't sure what to do now. It wouldn't be difficult to just go to Warren and give in to his feelings, but part of him was still so afraid. Warren was the one person in the world that could hurt him so much he wanted to die. Turns out super strength can't protect you from every kind of pain.

Suddenly, a young blonde girl sat down beside him. She was pretty, but in a plain kind of way.

"Hey kid. Why the long face?"

"You got all day?"

-

AN: Hope you enjoy the update. Sorry for the delay. College stuff is creeping up on me, gonna be starting soon so I've had a lot to organize.

I'm certain you all know who the girl in the diner is, so hopefully that makes you love the last line as much as I do… although I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm the only one so manically obsessed with my writing that I would notice that.

Thanks for all the awesome reviews, my mind still boggles at the fact that you guys have stuck with this for so long, you are truly awesome.

Xoxo

Dylan.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

"So let me get this straight. Warren was your everything, but he screwed up really badly, and two years later he comes back for you. So you sleep with him and dump your perfectly good boyfriend, but now you don't know what to do?"

"Wow, you sure are good at getting right to the point." Will replied.

He had been sitting in the diner for over an hour, pouring his heart out to this complete stranger. He knew he should feel stupid, after all, he didn't even know this girl, but it felt so good to get it out and talk to someone who didn't already have an opinion.

"Well," she said as she twirled her finger through her hair "It seems to me like you've already decided."

"Hardly. I know I did the right thing with Daniel… but what about Warren?"

"Did you miss him?"

"Yeah… god yeah."

"And, you're happy now that he's back."

"Of course. It was so hard not to see him everyday."

"And you still love him right?"

"Well, yeah. I'm always gonna love him."

"Will." She said, smiling broadly and shaking her head slightly in disbelief. "It's so obvious you want to be with him. I don't even know you guys and I can tell that."

"It's not that simple." Will said. "How can I trust him again?"

"Life is hard Will. Sometimes you get hurt, but you can't just shut down. He left because he thought that was right and it clearly wasn't, he knows that. I don't think he would do it again now that he knows…"

"So what should I do?"

"Get in your car. Go see him."

Will smiled and stood up. He was nervous, but excited at the same time.

"Thanks….um… god I've been talking to you for this long and I didn't even ask your name, you must think I'm so lame."

The girl laughed softly and rubbed Will's shoulder.

"Nah, you're just distracted. I'm Sophie."

-

Warren growled slightly under his breath, angry at himself for getting so worked up. What he was about to do was beyond moronic.

"Jeez Warren, snap out of it." He thought "You're not a fourteen year old girl!"

He took one more moment before knocking on the door of Wills house. It had been a long day, especially since he had been searching for Will all day. He didn't want to push Will, but not seeing him at all left an ache he just couldn't get away from.

The door opened slowly, revealing Steve Stronghold, the one person who was certain to make this day even worse. Warren frowned. So far he had been lucky enough to avoid seeing Mr. Stronghold and he was hoping for his luck to continue. Of course, his luck never worked out the way he hoped.

"Hello Mr. Stronghold." Warren said, trying to keep his tone even, verging on politeness.

"You." Steve spat. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"I'm not here to fight sir... I'm here to see Will. Can I come in?"

"Like hell you can!" He yelled, visibly shaking. Warren swallowed hard. If Steve were to really lose his temper, this could turn into a fight one of them wouldn't walk away from.

"Mr Stronghold, Look, I appreciate that I'm probably the last person you want to see, especially with your son, but we have a lot of history... a lot of unfinished business... I'm still a part of his life."

"Peace, you are a stupid, arrogant child. You really have no idea how badly I wanna kick your ass right now. I could handle the fact that you turned my son into a homo, I could even handle that fact that out of all the men in Maxville, he had to choose the son of my arch enemy, but there is no way in hell I'm letting you back into his life now. You broke him Warren."

He clenched his fist around the doorway, not even blinking as it cracked under the pressure of his vice like grip.

"You broke him Warren. That's something you can never make up for."

Warren took a deep breath. He wanted to lash out, to curse and yell. He wanted to burn the superior look right off of Steve's face. But he didn't.

He just turned and walked away.

-

"What the hell am I doing?" Will asked himself as he stepped out of Warrens shower. After leaving the cafe he had driven directly to Warrens home. When he found that nobody was home, he let himself in with the key Warren had given to him years ago.

He had come here many times after Warren had left, sleeping in their bed and trying to recapture the feelings he had had when they were together, It had never worked, but wandering around in Warrens home today felt just as natural as it had two years ago.

He dried his body and hair silently before walking into the bedroom and climbing naked into bed. The sun was shining through the open window, keeping Will warm as he drifted off for an afternoon nap.

-

Warren sighed, banging his head softly against the front door of his home. All in all, today had not gone as planned, and he was sure nothing would make him feel better.

It felt like it had been forever since he had seen Will and he was getting nervous. Antsy really.

He let himself in and slowly walked up the stairs, dropping his jacket and shirt on the floor as he went. Maybe he would pick is up later, or maybe he would leave it there until the smell started to bother him.

He walked into the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, kicking off his shoes and socks before pulling off his leather pants, resisting the urge to burn them off.

"That wouldn't be pleasant." He thought to himself, smiling slightly. He pulled off his boxers and considered closing the curtains before getting into bed, as he was sure his elderly neighbors wouldn't appreciate the free show.

He crawled into bed slowly, ignoring the fact that it was still far too sunny to go to sleep.

"Hey Warren."

Warren jumped out of bed immediately, clenching his fists, ready to power up, before registering who had spoken.

"Shit Will!" He cried, his relief dampened by the sense of confusion he felt. "What the hell?"

"Sorry Warren." Will said, smiling coyly from the bed.

"Not that I mind..." Warren said slowly as he tried to slow his heart rate, "But what are you doing?"

"Ren... I'm sick of everything."

"What do you mean Will?"

"I'm sick of my friends, my family, school... everything. I'm tired of worrying about what other people think is right for me. It's so tiring trying to please everyone all the time... so I quit."

"You... quit?"

"Yeah. From now on, I'm just gonna do what I want to do."

"And what do you want to do?" Warren asked, a small smirk playing at his lips.

"You." Will said, without shame or embarrassment. He pulled away the blankets, revealing himself to Warren. "So instead of just standing there looking sexy, why don't you get over here?"

Warren climbed onto the bed, wrapping his arms tightly around Will and kissed him hard. He pulled away suddenly, smiling.

"Will... I don't know where you went today, or what happened, but damn, I love this side of you!"

-

AN: Ugh lack of updates = college is crazy. Apparently I'm not too old to get caught up in all of the craziness, but its going pretty well. This semester I'm studying English literature, film studies and American Marketing.. so maybe in the end I will write a book, make it into a movie and market it to Disney?

Somehow I doubt Disney will go for hot boy on boy action though :P Oh well, at least I can feel superior to my siblings when I get my degree. Happy reading, hope you're all working on some hot WarrenXWill goodness :P

xoxo Dylan.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

Warren flopped down onto the bed, pulling Will close, and smiled broadly.

"Will, what the hell? That was awesome!" He said, barely covering the delight in his voice. "What happened today?"

"I went for a drive, did some thinking... talked to the strangest of girls and, I guess I just sorted out some things in my head."

"So now..."

Will smiled and traced his hand along Warrens chest.

"Now, I'm good. I'm thinking about myself more, and thinking about now. I was so worried about everything. Daniel, my parents, friends... I was worried that you and me couldn't be together the way we were before."

"We can."

"Maybe. Maybe it'll be different... But, I'd like to try."

Warren smiled again, so wide he thought his face would break. He had waited so long to hear Will say those words, to admit that they had a shot.

"Not that I wanna break the mood or anything, but have you been home at all today?" Warren asked quietly.

"No." Will replied, frowning and looking at Warren suspiciously. "Why?"

"Well..." Warren began. He sat up and crossed his legs, reveling at Wills blush as he displayed his naked body. "Remember of course that I care for you very very much. I may be tough, but I AM breakable."

"Start talking."

"I was worried about you, so... I went over to your house and... I kinda ran into your dad." he said sheepishly.

"Kinda?"

"Well it was really more of a full on collision if anything."

"I see..."

"Ok, but instead of getting mad, you should just take the fact that I was worried as a good thing."

"I'm not mad, at you anyway. I knew he would probably jump on the crazy train as soon as the two of you had any sort of contact... I'm just pissed about his future behavior."

"Future behavior?"

"Warren, you know it's gonna be forever before he even lets you back into the house. I get why... I just wish we didn't have to deal with that."

"I guess I have a lot of trust to win back... yours included."

"Yeah. Still, it'd be nice to skip it. It's hard enough for us as it is, without dealing with everyone else."

"Well... we're not too far off from having a school break. Maybe we could go away somewhere, just us?"

"That sounds nice." Will said dreamily as he stretched and stifled a yawn.

"Somewhere private and very warm."

"Aren't you naturally warm?"

"We yeah." Warren said, smirking. "But we'll be naked a lot."

-

"Alright, what is going on with you?" Josie Stronghold said as her husband slammed three dinner plates onto the table.

"What are you talking about?" Steve replied gruffly.

"I'm talking about the huge black cloud hanging above your head. You've been in a mood since I got home, whats the problem?"

"Nothing."

"Really? So you're just stomping around scowling for no reason?"

"That's right." Steve replied as he sat down at the table. Josie sat across from him, her face a bizarre mixture of concern and annoyance.

"Steve." She said, before reaching over to take his hand. "Will called, he's gonna be home for dinner soon, so just talk to me before he gets here. After all these years, I know when something is bothering you."

Steve sighed and shook his head.

"Ok. Warren Peace stopped by today." He said.

"Oh."

"Yeah. He just strolled on up and asked for Will like the last two years never happened. I swear Josie, it took all I had not to end him right there. He might be young, but he deserves it."

"Steve..."

"No Josie, what the hell is he thinking? It's bad enough that he had to come back to Maxville at all, I don't want him bothering Will. I mean for gods sake, he only just got himself back together."

"I know that honey, but I think the last few years have really changed Warren,"

"How would you know that, you didn't even see him."

"Actually..."

"You've seen him!"

"Yeah..."

"Well when? Were you gonna tell me or keep having secret little meetings?"

"Steve, I really think you're over reacting here. I saw him when he first got into town. We had a long talk and I really think things are different for him now. He's changed a lot."

"Yeah well so has Will. Anyway, he has Daniel now."

"Steve. Whatever Will decides to do, we need to stand by him. If he ends up with Warren again..."

"That's not going to happen." He interrupted, standing up abruptly. "Will's smarter than that."

"You know love doesn't work that way. I seem to remember your father wanting you to marry Angela Langford instead of me. What was it he said, that I was a bad influence on his son?"

"That's different."

"Is it really?" Josie said, standing to look Steve in his eyes. She took his hand and smiled Warmly. "Steve, Juliet could have married Paris, but Romeo would always have her heart."

"I'm not happy about this."

"You don't have to be. You just have to support Wills decision. Just trust that we have raised him to be smart enough to know what he really wants. Besides, nothings happened yet anyway, maybe they won't get back together."

"I can only hope."

"Anyway, he's gonna be home soon, so help me finish dinner."

"Yes ma'am." Steve replied, his tone admitting defeat.

-

Later that night Will lay in his bed thinking over the events of the day. Dinner had been a little tense, it seemed like his parents were arguing about something, which was unusual for them, but Will found it hard to be concerned. All he could feel was happy.

A low vibration alerted Will to an incoming call. He smiled as he checked the name in the display before answering.

"Hey baby, I missed you." He said, grinning wildly as he heard Warren chuckle. "Ok so it's only been a few hours..."

"So how did dinner with the parents go?" Warren asked, concerned about the aftermath of his run in with Wills father.

"Surprisingly good actually. My dad didn't say anything about you, which either means he knows and is too mad to yell at me or he's in major denial about your existence."

"I see." Warren said, chucking again. "I suppose that's good."

"Trust me, awkward avoidance is way better than an argument with the Commander."

"I'll take your word for it. I have a feeling any argument he had with me would be more physical."

"So Warren..." Will said slowly, trying his best to sound cute.

"Yeah?"

"I was wondering. What's going to happen at school tomorrow?"

"Well..." Warren said cheekily. "I can't be certain, but I imagine classes, lunch... "

Will rolled his eyes, but found himself smiling anyway. He had even missed Warrens lame jokes.

"No, I mean us. Are we together, or not together... are we even talking in public?"

"I guess... I don't know. Why not just do what we do and forget everyone else?"

"People are gonna ask, we do have two years worth of gossip to catch up on after all. People love a good Will and Warren spectacle."

"Ok... So here's what I think. I'm going to want to kiss you tomorrow, that's pretty much certain and as strong as you are, I don't see you stopping me."

"I don't either."

"So we can just see how it goes, explain to anyone that asks... just act like it's total natural that we would be together."

"So we're together then?"

Warren laughed.

"What?" Will demanded.

"Was this whole line of questioning just a way to ask that with some subtlety?"

"No.... but I do wonder."

"Well, I think we are... we're just taking it slow."

"That sounds good."

"Ok babe, so it's a deal. Tomorrows a trial run."

"Cool."

"Now Will, I know it's a school night, but what are the chances of you flying over right now?"

-

"We made it!" Will shouted gleefully as he set down on the school grounds, slightly behind where the buses were parked. Warren squeezed Will tightly and kissed the back of his neck.

"Warren, let go, we made it."

Warren let go reluctantly and grabbed Wills hand. The pair started walking slowly towards the school, relishing their private time.

"I told you we wouldn't be late." Warren said gruffly, suddenly regretting not having a coffee that morning. "It's not my fault you slept it."

Will groaned, slapping Warren on the arm lightly, which still made Warren cringe with pain.

"You didn't wake up either!" Will exclaimed. "Ugh, my parents are gonna kill me, find someone who can bring me back to life and then kill me again."

Warren smiled. The night before, he had managed to convince Will to come over and they had spent the night making love. It had been perfect, until Will had frantically woken him in the morning. They had both overslept and missed the bus, but worse, Will had missed the chance to fly home and pretend to have slept there.

"It's ok Will. Just tell them you had to leave really early or something."

"They won't fall for that Warren, they're... well mom isn't stupid."

"Ouch, poor dad." Warren said, rolling his eyes. By this time they had reached Wills locker. Warren pushed Will against it roughly and pulled him in for a long, hard kiss. "It'll be fine, tell them I kidnapped you, they already hate me."

"Hmm, I guess you're right... the part about it being fine. I might just need a little more convincing." He said, pulling Warren back towards him for another kiss.

When Will finally let go, Warren smiled at the way he blushed when he realized people had been looking.

"What the hell are you doing?" A voice yelled suddenly.

Warren turned around and came face to face With Daniel and Layla, who both looked shocked and pissed off.

"Great." Warren muttered

-

AN: Hey guys, hope you like this, bit of a bigger update than usual.

BitterSweetDragon -I totally know what you mean about the change of writing style. I find myself trying to keep it the same for this story, and I keep wishing I could just start afresh, but this series has way way too much history. Luckily, I work night shift at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, so I hardly have to do anything but write lol.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

"Layla. Daniel." Warren said slowly, reminding himself to remain calm, whatever happened.

"Will, what the hell?" Layla spat, ignoring Warren altogether. Her body shook lightly and Warren could see her anger manifesting itself in her posture. By her side, Daniel stood motionless, almost seeming to hide behind the angry redhead.

"Just leave it Layla." Will said as he reached into his locker and began pulling out books. Warren smirked slightly at the way Will was thrusting books into Warrens arms, expecting him to carry them. The familiarity between them was still as strong as ever.

"No Will, I can't just leave it, what are you doing with him?"

"It's none of your business." Will said as he slammed his locker shut, grabbing Warrens free hand and gently tugging him away.

"Will!" Layla yelled, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around forcefully. "It is my business, I'm your friend... I'm Daniels friend. I'm not just gonna sit back and watch you throw your life away with... that!"

"Hey!" Warren interjected, a look of mild pain flashing across his face briefly, before the bad-ass mask was renewed. "Don't call me "that"... I have a name!"

Layla ignored Warren again and looked imploringly at Will.

"Please Will... apparently you don't remember, but I do. I watched you try to put yourself back together after he left. I saw how long it took you to even smile again. I CAN'T see you do that again."

"Then don't look." Will said simply, pulling Warren close to him. He crashed his lips against Warrens, while wrapping an arm around him, squeezing his ass roughly. He pulled away and turned back to Layla. "I'm actually happy now. Nobody controls me any more."

Will narrowed his eyes and looked towards Daniel.

"Nobody controls me."

**-.o0O0o.-**

Warren smiled to himself slightly. He walked out of class, running his hands through his hair as he walked the halls, waiting to bump into Will. He had just spent the most unproductive hour in class, doodling on his book as he remembered Wills earlier behaviour in front of Layla and Daniel.

It had been a tough situation, one that would usually make him slightly uncomfortable, but, if he was honest with himself, Warren had to admit seeing Will being so assertive and even out right slutty turned him on immensely.

He knew Will had been nervous about today. As much as Will hated to admit it, he did care what people thought, that much was obvious to Warren, but it was pleasing to see him finally making decisions for himself, everyone else be damned. Warren had always been a total badass and he wasn't afraid to admit it, but sometimes it was nice to not have to be the dominant one, and seeing Will stand up for himself like that was hot. Still, their situation wasn't ideal. Will had been able to tell Layla to back off with confidence that Warren hadn't seen before, but he knew that this morning wouldn't be the last time someone questioned why they were together again and Warren didn't know how Will would take it.

**-.o0O0o.-**

"So then what happened?" Warren asked breathlessly, trying to regain his composer as Will straddled his waist.

"I told her to get fucked."

Warren smirked, hearing Will drop the fbomb was a somewhat rare occurrence.

"Oh really?" Warren asked, arching an eyebrow and smiling sexily. He laughed inwardly as Wills cheeks flushed red. Will could talk the talk of a tough guy, but all it took for him to melt was one look from Warren, a fact that Warren himself enjoyed exploiting.

He suddenly grabbed Will, pulling him close before rolling over so that he was laying on top of Will, being careful not to crush him completely. The pair had just made it back from school and Will had immediately ushered Warren up the stairs, stripping them both into their underwear before pouncing on him. Warren had tried to remind Will that they were taking things slowly, but to no avail. Will seemed determined to catch up on lost time and if Warren was honest with himself, he knew he didn't really mind.

"Yup." Will replied cheekily, smiling like an idiot.

"You know Will.." Warren began, slowly moving around so that he and Will were now side by side, facing on another. As Warren looked into Wills eyes, his words caught momentarily in his throat and he shook his head slightly, marvelling in the fact that he was back with Will, in his house. He never believe that would happen.

"They're my friends and they just care about me, right?"

"Well yeah, but what I was gonna say is that, well, Layla and Majenta kinda have a point... I mean, people are gonna keep trying to convince you that I'm a bad guy, so you know... you can't keep freaking out."

"Why?"

"You don't wanna burn all your bridges do ya? I'm so happy to have you Will and I'll be damned if I'm letting you go, but you still need your friends... your family. As fun as it was seeing you be a badass, it's not really you."

"Hmm, when did you get all grown up and thoughtful?"

"Right about the same time you turned into a little punk." Warren teased. He poked his tongue out slightly, trying to make light of the conversation.

"You're right Warren... but I just don't know what to do. I get that they care, but I know my own mind. I know what I want... and this time, I'm not letting anything get in the way."

"Will..."

"Don't say it!"

"Will come on. You already know what you have to do. People are gonna be on our backs for a while, we just have to keep them sweet till things settle down."

"You think I should make up with Layla then?"

"Yeah. Just tell her how you feel, listen to her. Reassure her. Eventually Layla, Maj... your dad, everyone that doubts us... they'll come around."

Warren smiled and brushed Wills hair out of his eyes gently, before placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Alright... guess I'm lucky to have such a grown up boyfriend."

"We're both lucky... Now get those boxers off, we've got work to do before I let ya go home."

**-.o0O0o.-**

The next morning Warren met Will by the bus, smiling at the boy as he rushed off, looking around for his boyfriend. Warrens heart gave a small jump at Wills expression when they locked eyes, something between lust and adoration. Without a word, Warren took Wills hand and started walking towards the school.

The night before, Will had called Warren to let him know that things with Layla and his father were tense, but they could see his point of view. Things wouldn't get better right away, but they were on the way to getting good.

As they walked through the doors, Warren held his head high, proud to be standing next to Will Stronghold, the future hero, most popular guy in school.

His everything.

**-.o0O0o.-**


	13. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

A cool breeze blew through the air and Warren drew his long black coat tighter around his body. He sighed, glad to be finished with another day at the Paper Lantern. He had come a long way since his days as a waiter, but even now, running the business, he sometime felt like he had run a marathon by the end of his shift.

He smiled as he clutched the small bag he was carrying closer to his chest, thinking about the conversation that was sure to come the moment he got home. As usual, Will and their daughter Sophie would pretend to protest, saying that they ate Chinese far too often, and as usual, Warren would pretend to grumble about the ungrateful pair he had landed himself with. But then, Will would snuggle into his arms and smile delightedly when he pulled out the fortune cookies, insisting that they have them first, as usual.

"That's my Will." Warren thought, warmed by memories of the life they had built together and the feeling of safety he felt when he thought of his family.

Tonight, once Sophie was in bed, they would pull out a photo album or two and then flick through their old high school yearbooks, something they did often enough to remind them they were coming up on forty and that Will had turned into his father in some ways.

All day Warren had been thinking of their past together, so a trip down memory lane tonight would be fun. It hadn't been easy, their years at Sky High had tested them both, and their relationship, to the limits.

But, as Warren thought about everything that had happened since the night long ago that he had first started having feelings for Will, it wasn't with a sense of anger, regret or any of the feelings that had clouded his mind as a teenager.

As he looked back, all Warren saw was love.

**0Oo.-**

**AN: **So, that's the end. Surprise. Bet you thought I forgot about this fic. I know some people will think this ending is a cop out and that it was rushed. Maybe people will think that I just dug myself into a hole and didn't know how to get out, and in all honesty, they wouldn't be totally wrong.

I wrote the first chapter of this story about 6 years ago now and it has been going on and off ever since. Six years is a long time for a fanfic. I mean, I was around 15 when I first started. I feel like I have taken this story everywhere I can and when I was trying to think of what crazy thing could happen to them next, nothing came. I have kind of lost the passion I once had for this relationship and writing this felt too much like a burden. I never wanted to just give up and leave it, cuz I know how frustrating that is for a reader, so I wrote this.

Obviously lots of stuff happened in between, but I can't even begin to think of what, so I felt like writing the previous chapter with them ok as a couple, on the road to acceptance was a good way to end it, then this little epilogue just to reassure everyone and myself that things worked out. While I don't wanna write them any more, Warren and Will are still important to me, so I didn't wanna leave them hanging.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me and reviewed over the years and thank you to those who never reviewed, cuz even the hit count gave me confidence. This isn't then end to my fanfic writing, I have new slashy ideas in mind, so please look out for me in the future (author alert cough cough)

With love,

Dylan


End file.
